The symptoms associated with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a swelling in the lymph nodes in the neck, collarbone region, armpits or groin, this swelling can be in one or more of these areas.
This symptom also holds true as a symptom for Hodgkin’s disease, however, swelling of the lymph nodes can also be caused by a viral infection.
Physicians often treat swollen lymph nodes by treating them with antibiotics and watching them over a several week period but in some cases they might choose to do a biopsy to either confirm or ensure the swelling of the lymph nodes is not Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease. Often this is when the lymph nodes are swollen larger than one inch in size and possibly accompanied by other symptoms. When children are the patients with swollen lymph nodes in most cases it is due to an infection that can be treated by the physician and the lymph nodes will return to normal within a short amount of time. There is no pain associated with the swelling of the lymph nodes and often there are no other symptoms, however this person may have a general felling of being unwell.
There can also be unexplained fevers that reoccur, night sweats, weight loss from a decrease in appetite and continuous fatigue. Breathlessness or a persistant cough can is present in some patients with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as well as the feeling of being itchy and red patches on the skin.
Not all people diagnosed with this type of cancer have all or any of the other symptoms and there is also lymphoma of the stomach or intestines that can have symptoms like abdominal pain, indigestion and diarrhea.
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There has been scientific research done that is associated with lymphoma and it is still unclear what makes the body change and develop Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, although there are some factors that can put a person more at risk for this type of cancer and they are:
- Sex: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease afflicts more men than women.
- Genetics: Genetics can play a part in this type of cancer, immediate family members such as a parent and their children, the children have a two to four chance of being diagnosed with this type of cancer.
- Cancer Treatment: There is evidence of a slight risk for patients who have been treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
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There are some medical conditions that make the body more susceptible to this type of cancer and among these are autoimmune disease (HIV & Aids) and inherited immune deficiency syndromes.
- Another category at risk is one that has had a organ transplant and is using immunosuppressant drugs.
- Other people at risk are those with or exposed to Human T-lymphotrophic virus type I, Epstein-Barr virus, helicobater pylori and malaria.
- Chemicals: There are some chemical exposures that can raise the risk factors, among these are benzene and certain solvents, herbicides, and pesticides.
- Medicine: one antiepileptic medication named phenytoin is known to cause overgrowth of the lymphoid tissues and it is also irreversible.
Family history
An increased risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been associated with a family history of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and several other cancerous malignancies, but the core relavant risks and key specific mechanisms are uncertain at this time.
History
While consensus was rapidly reached on the classification of Hodgkin's lymphoma, there remained a large group of very different diseases requiring further classification. The Rappaport classification, proposed by Henry Rappaport in 1956 and 1966, became the first widely accepted classification of lymphomas other than Hodgkin's. Following its publication in 1982, the Working Formulation became the standard classification for this group of diseases. It introduced the term non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and defined three grades of lymphoma. However, NHL consists of 16 different conditions that have little in common with each other. They are grouped by their aggressiveness. Less aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas are compatible with a long survival while more aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be rapidly fatal without treatment. Without further narrowing, the label is of limited usefulness for patients or doctors. The most recent lymphoma classifications, the 1994 Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) classification and the 2001 WHO classification, abandoned the HL vs. NHL grouping. Instead, 43 different forms of lymphoma are listed and discussed separately. Although Hodgkin's lymphoma is recognised as being a tumour of lymphocytes of mature B cell lineage, it is still considered separately within the WHO classification
Age
Both Hodgkin's disease and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma can occur in people at any age, but the risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma increases with age as do most cancers, more specifically, with most patients being diagnosed in their 60s. Hodgkin's disease occurs most commonly in two distinct age groups: younger people between 15 - 40 (most commonly in the age range of 20-30) and people who are 55+.
Diet
Most common research pints to a diet high in red meats and fat.
New research is pointing to the fact that there may be some food groups that may affect an individual's risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A recently published study from Sweden has found that Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma risk is decreased in those who had more fibre and marine items in their diet. In fact the risk reduces to nearly half in those who eat the most fibre and fish. Not surprisingly though, Vitamins A and E also seemed to reduce the risk somewhat.
Another recent study from Italy has found that those with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma seemed to have had lesser intake of fruits, vegetables and eggs than those without lymphoma. They also found that lymphoma patients also seemed to have much more rice, pasta and cheese in their diet.
These findings seem to suggest that food might affect the risk of developing Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. But should you rush to change your eating habits because of this trend? The fact remains that lymphoma is a relatively rare cancer, and few people are at inherently high risk to develop it. Dietary modifications to reduce lymphoma risk is always one of the best places to start controlling potential damage.
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